Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, the Québec Cinéma gala took place yesterday. This year, Stéphane Lafleur's Viking took home a whole bouquet of Iris awards. The evening was also an opportunity to rename the people's choice award after Michel Côté, who died last year. There could be no better choice. This gala also recognized a Quebec cinema great for his life's work and, in a way, corrected an injustice. Rémy Girard,…
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Mr. Speaker, I hope that you will find there is unanimous consent for the following motion: That the House (a) recall that Radio-Canada had 29% of the audience share in Quebec in 2022 and 2023—
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the minister also wants answers from the president and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada, but I would remind the minister that it is her responsibility to appoint the CEO. Ms. Tait's 18-month tenure was supposed to focus on combatting disinformation. However, she is doing the opposite. The loss of 600 jobs will mean less news. We need to send a clear message. There should have…
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Mr. Speaker, CEO Catherine Tait announced that CBC/Radio-Canada is laying off 600 employees. This is a catastrophe. It is a catastrophe for news and regional information. It is a catastrophe for Quebec culture and democracy, and of course it is a catastrophe for Radio-Canada creatives. Catherine Tait's chosen approach is like water torture: Waves of layoffs stretching out over months, leaving ever…
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Mr. Speaker, Radio‑Canada outperforms CBC. From news and current affairs to television series and soaps, Radio‑Canada is doing better than CBC. That is certainly not because there are more francophones in the country. We know that for a fact. However, Radio‑Canada, which has fewer employees and higher viewership, is being cut just as much as CBC. If anyone wanted to sabotage the French network, th…
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Mr. Speaker, less than two weeks after the economic update, CBC/Radio-Canada, a Crown corporation, the public broadcaster paid for mostly with our money, is cutting 800 jobs and announcing that 600 people will soon be fired. The media crisis that was affecting the private sector has now spread to the public broadcaster. This will inevitably affect the quality of news. It will also affect our TV se…
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Madam Speaker, it was so nice of the member to explain the agreement. However, that was not the question. I was talking about CBC/Radio-Canada and funding, but I am sure we will come back to that. Another thing the minister can immediately do is ensure that there are no further job cuts in the media. That will enable struggling online, radio and television media to have access to the 35% tax credi…
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Madam Speaker, the agreement with Google is good news. It is a step in the right direction, a first step. Obviously, we were hoping that the government would take more steps. Initially, there was talk of an amount of about $172 million, but let us still recognize that this is good news. Now, if Meta could be more open, that would also help. However, the fact remains that $100 million is not going …
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Madam Speaker, the agreement with Google is a step in the right direction, a first step. Of course, we were hoping that the government would take more steps. Initially, there was talk of $172 million—
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Madam Speaker, 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the Club FADOQ St-Félix. Rather than having just one big party for the 50th anniversary, its members decided to celebrate all year long. I can say that they have had plenty of opportunities to do so, because the seniors of Saint-Félix-de-Kingsey are extremely active. They never stop, and it is pretty obvious. Their schedules are so full, one would …
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Mr. Speaker, we could engage in long debates with our colleague from Calgary Shepard over whether the Senate is necessary or whether senators should be elected. We could have a great discussion on that. However, the Senate exists. It is there and it has to do its work of considering bills from the House of Commons. I felt the same frustration as my colleague when Bill C‑11 was before the Senate. A…
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Mr. Speaker, one of the biggest cliffhangers in Quebec showbiz has finally been resolved. We now know who will take over from Gino Chouinard as host of TV's Salut Bonjour next year. I was very happy to hear that the new host is Ève‑Marie Lortie. I am pleased because, at last, a woman will be hosting a Quebec morning show, which still does not happen often enough for my taste. There are plenty of o…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my Conservative colleague for her comments today. I admit that the members of the Bloc Québécois have mixed feelings. On the one hand, we are tempted to agree with what the Conservatives are saying about the Senate today, but on the other, we have a duty to defend the process that is under way. I am fascinated to see that the Conservatives take a different view…
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Mr. Speaker, the work started a long time ago. We should be seeing results by now. This morning, I sent the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Canadian Heritage a bunch of reactions from people in the cultural sector. They are all livid. They are furious that the economic statement had nothing in it for them. Even the Fédération nationale des communications et de la culture, which is well kno…
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Mr. Speaker, less than a month ago, Quebecor announced it was cutting 547 jobs, a third of its staff, but the fact that our television is in crisis does not seem to bother the Minister of Canadian Heritage. There is nothing in the economic statement, not one red cent, for our television and radio. The media crisis is a crisis of democracy. Access to information is under threat, especially in the r…
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Mr. Speaker, if there is one thing humans cannot do, it is erase pages from history. If we could, we would rewrite major parts of our history, like the horrors experienced by the Ukrainian people under the yoke of the U.S.S.R. in the winter of 1932-33, when dictator Stalin deliberately cut off food supplies to the entire country in order to wipe out the population through famine. It was an atrocit…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to take advantage of the presence in the House of the member for Sarnia—Lambton to draw a parallel between two bills that have required a lot of effort from several parties over the years in the House. During this Parliament, the member for Sarnia—Lambton introduced a bill on protecting pension plans. The Bloc Québécois enthusiastically supported the bill. Our colleague very el…
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Mr. Speaker, there are some good ideas in Bills C‑11 and C‑18, but, for now, they are not working. They are not doing anything. That is why, pending the conclusion of negotiations with the web giants in the case of Bill C‑18, an emergency fund for the media is required. That is reasonable. It is essential to maintain the diversity of information in the short term. In the long term, much more will …
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Mr. Speaker, our media are in crisis. Yesterday, the big boss at Quebecor said that TVA was hanging on by a thread. The vice-president of Bell Media added, “The longer we wait, the more we put ourselves at risk, and the more we risk losing news sources”. Meanwhile, what does the minister have to say? She said, “We hope to have a new regulatory framework by 2025.” The media are at risk now. Do I un…
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Mr. Speaker, honestly, I think the media and culture sector has had it with people laying blame left and right. It is time for the government to step up. When I talk to people in media and culture, they agree that the Liberals have nothing to be proud of right now. People need concrete action, and they need it right away. Our newspapers, radio stations and television stations need help now. We saw…
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Mr. Speaker, in the next few weeks, the government is going to release its economic update. I think this would be a great opportunity for the government to express its concerns over the future of the news media. Our media industry is struggling. Our print media, electronic media, local media and regional media are struggling. Frankly, I think they need a break. Bill C‑18 will not take effect in th…
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Mr. Speaker, what a season in the life of Kevin Lambert. Shortlisted for a Prix Goncourt, winner of a Prix Décembre and now, following in the footsteps of Marie-Claire Blais, who incidentally was an inspiration for his latest novel, young writer Kevin Lambert has won the prestigious Prix Médicis, 57 years after his muse. This is the third time a Quebecker has won the Prix Médicis, following Marie-…
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Madam Speaker, I want to applaud Motion No. 86, moved by our NDP colleague from Nanaimo—Ladysmith. It is an interesting motion. This is not the first time that proposals to reform the electoral system have appeared on the political landscape, whether at the provincial government level, in Quebec, or here in the House of Commons. We rarely see these reform projects accomplish anything, and the reas…
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Madam Speaker, I congratulate my colleague from Nanaimo—Ladysmith on her speech and her remarks. I am struck by the argument that women make up about 50% of Canada's population but they are under-represented here, in the House of Commons. Although we are talking about the electoral system, I am sure that a lot of other factors play a part in the fact that women may be less interested in politics. …
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Madam Speaker, I was a little reluctant to participate in this debate because, as we find ourselves saying over and over to make sure our Conservative colleagues from Quebec remember and understand, the carbon tax does not apply in Quebec. Quebec has its own carbon exchange. That option is available to all the provinces. Any of them can set up a carbon pricing system like Quebec and British Columb…
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Mr. Speaker, 547 people working at TVA lost their jobs on Thursday, the darkest day in the history of Quebec television. The federal government has to realize that Bill C-11 and Bill C-18 will not be enough. The government has to launch a $50‑million emergency fund for news media. It has to hold a summit next spring at the latest with all industry stakeholders to find long-term solutions to ensure…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to come back to the discussion that the Chair had on previous points of order and the things we can or cannot say in the House, such as implying that a colleague is not telling the truth or that a party lacks courage. I would sincerely appreciate some clarification. When it is proven that colleagues are saying things that are not true and that are known to be false, am …
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Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. My colleague's speech is very interesting. Committee reports deserve to be debated, and those debates deserve to be heard. I am just wondering how many members are interested in the speech. I would ask the Chair to verify whether we have quorum today.
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Madam Speaker, the hundreds of job losses at TVA will inevitably impact news in the regions. There will be fewer journalists, fewer editors, fewer studios, less airtime, and smaller teams with fewer resources. Add to that the fact that print and local media are in crisis, and we have the perfect recipe for our regions to fall off the radar. Meanwhile, it is clear that the Online News Act is about …
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Madam Speaker, a full-blown atomic bomb has dropped on the world of Quebec television. TVA—
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Madam Speaker, a full-blown atomic bomb has dropped on the world of Quebec television. TVA, the most-watched television network in Quebec, will be laying off 547 people, a third of its workforce. We are losing extraordinary artisans of our culture. It is catastrophic. It is catastrophic, but not surprising, unfortunately. If this is happening to TVA, all of our media are at risk. We have to rethin…
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Madam Speaker, it is true that this is a sensitive subject. I think it is irresponsible to immediately stop the debate by hurling epithets. Today, my parliamentary assistant and I simply tried to bring it down to a level that is a little more accessible to the public. For example, we thought that, for the people of Drummond, it would be like welcoming three more people per household without changi…
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Madam Speaker, my answer to my Liberal colleague's question was somewhat along the same lines. We have problems to solve here before we open the floodgates. We have young people starting out in life who have brilliant careers ahead of them, but who cannot afford to buy their first home, no matter how modest it may be. Home ownership has become an extraordinary challenge and a privilege truly reser…
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Mr. Speaker, I will accept your generous offer and request a recorded division.
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate my colleague's question. He raises a good point. There was a time when our cities were not overcrowded and we did not have major housing problems. The current crisis is extremely worrisome. There was a time when taking care of people was not nearly as difficult. Our health care systems in Quebec and the rest of Canada were robust enough to take people in, but that is no…
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Madam Speaker, I will be happy to share my time with my friend the member for Berthier—Maskinongé. I will read the motion again to refocus the debate, but also the intention behind this Bloc Québécois opposition day. The motion reads as follows: That the House call on the government to review its immigration targets starting in 2024, after consultation with Quebec, the provinces and territories, b…
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Madam Speaker, earlier, during the question and comment period following the speech by my colleague from Montarville, the member for Pontiac said that Quebec is a society with a good integration capacity, and she gave the example of a family that she and her family welcomed and who integrated very well. That example is a bit like saying there is no racism in Quebec because I have a Black friend an…
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Madam Speaker, I congratulate my colleague for the clarity of his remarks. Earlier, in a response he gave to our colleague from Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup he did not have time to finish, but I thought his response was interesting. This would help our Conservative colleagues gain a better understanding of the actual facts on the carbon issue. He was explaining how it was false, ab…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate and thank my colleague from Etobicoke Centre for his speech and his commitment. We have the pleasure of serving together on the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group. I know how deeply committed he is to Ukraine in general and also to the current situation, which affects him personally, as we all know. The Bloc Québécois is certainly in favour of B…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Nunavut for her speech. She too, like our colleague from Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, is very credible. She is very concerned and knowledgeable about the issue, to say the least. Earlier, I was talking about consensus-building, which is not the federal government's role within first nations. Since the beginning of this debate, we have been talking about the Indian …
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Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate my colleague and riding neighbour from Saint‑Hyacinthe—Bagot for his eloquent speech. As he himself is a member of the Huron-Wendat Nation, I think he knows what he is talking about. He is well read and very passionate about the issue. I also liked the fact that he talked about the future republic of Quebec, which will truly establish a nation-to-nation relation…
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday, Muslim and Jewish government MPs met despite their differences to jointly reiterate the importance of all citizens feeling safe in Canada, regardless of their religion. That makes a difference and it should be commended. Ms. Elghawaby, however, is incapable of recognizing that Hamas attacks are even happening, let alone the anger, fear and suffering they cause, including am…
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Mr. Speaker, let us talk about Amira Elghawaby, the Prime Minister's special representative on combatting Islamophobia. Many people noticed her long silence on the war between Israel and Hamas. Then, when she did finally break her silence after 10 days, everyone noticed that she did not say a word about the Hamas attacks, about the massacre of civilians, about the hundreds of kidnappings or the ra…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Fredericton for her speech and her position on Bill C‑38. Obviously we are in favour of the principle of the bill, but I am still uncomfortable when bills on indigenous issues are introduced because I find it will only result in some sort of band-aid solution. The government is trying to fix something that was done on a fundamentally bad foundation. The title…
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Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to speak in the debate on Bill C-320. As my colleague from Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia said earlier, the Bloc Québécois supports Bill C-320. The Bloc's position is part of its commitment to supporting initiatives that ensure women's safety and that combat violence against women. We believe that victims will significantly benefit from obtaining as much informa…
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Mr. Speaker, I am going to repeat a question I asked my Conservative colleague earlier, because I may not have worded my question correctly. The fact is, we are not at all opposed to the idea put forward today by the Conservatives, which is to ask the government to offer some predictability, act responsibly and introduce a plan for returning to a balanced budget. However, the Conservatives want to…
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Mr. Speaker, sometimes, once in a generation, the Conservatives have an idea that makes a modicum of sense. Unfortunately, they always hide their good ideas behind wacky political stunts. Last June, the Bloc Québécois supported a similar motion calling for a plan to return to balanced budgets. We believe that this is the reasonable and responsible thing to do for a government. Governments need to …
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Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives may not applaud as vigorously for me. I agree with my colleague that the CBC and Radio-Canada do outstanding journalistic work, and that must be protected. Journalists, however, know how to use loaded words. Journalists know how to describe the despicable acts committed by Hamas on October 7. That is their job. However, CBC management's directive is something else en…
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Mr. Speaker, we hear a lot of talk about the CBC's upper management these days, but never for the right reasons. There was the n-word incident, then there was the podcast translated in Paris because, as everyone knows, the Quebec accent lacks international appeal. The latest is a memo to reporters reminding them not to call Hamas terrorists. We all know that Hamas's horrific attacks constitute ter…
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Mr. Speaker, do not put away your festive summer spirit just yet, because there is still some life left in this year's festival season. This weekend, enjoy lively traditional music in a New Orleans atmosphere right in Drummondville at the second edition of the Trad-Cajun Festival at Woodyatt Park. This year, organizer Steve Veilleux has put together an amazing lineup that includes Salebarbes, Nico…
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